[Earthview Wonders] No.888: California Wildfires🇺🇸

Thousands of firefighters in northern California battled to control wildfires fueled by howling el diablo winds, the largest of which forced at least 185,000 people to evacuate their homes. According to the article of National Geographic, “climate change’s stamp is evident in many of the fires, primarily because hotter air means drier plants, which burn more readily”. Over the past century, California has warmed by about 1.4C. Hotter air draws water out of plants and soils more efficiently than cool, leaving the trees, shrubs, and rolling grasslands of the state dry and primed to burn. Crucially, that effect increases exponentially with every degree of warming, explains Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the UCLA.

(日本語) Archives

(日本語) Archives

Sanefumi Sammy Shoji

Born in Malaysia, spent his youth in South East Asia and Los Angeles, U.S.. Strongly moved by Japanese science documentary TV program “The Miracle Planet” in fifth grade, grew strong interest in space and Earth, and majored planetary science at graduate school. Was engaged in international financing transactions for 10 years at a U.S. investment bank and a Japanese investment firm. Established LiVEARTH, Inc. in 2014 with a mission to “provide Earth-overviewing perspective to the world”.